Woodenshoe Canyon, Dark Canyon Wilderness, UT
DatesMay 13th - May 19th 2012 Service ProjectTrail maintenance & riparian restoration Free DaysHiking, photography, explore rock art & ruins, wildlife viewing AccommodationsBackpack camping Trip RatingStrenuous : 5 mile backpack, digging, bending, lopping, sawing. Pack animal supported. LeadersDave Pacheco Equipment |
The Dark Canyon Wilderness, designated by Congress in 1984, is a spectacular desert forest canyon wilderness covering over 47,000 acres. The greater area of the Dark Canyon complex is rich in biological, geological, archaeological, and historical significance, and is also one of the most colorful canyon systems on the Colorado Plateau. Dark Canyon begins on Elk Ridge at an elevation of 8,800 feet then cuts through Cedar Mesa sandstone formations dramatically framed amidst a forest of ponderosa pine on its 5,000-foot descent to the Colorado River. Dark Canyon was the ancestral home of puebloan peoples for 5,000 years. They built cliff-dwellings and grain storage warehouses, made pottery in a variety of styles, fashioned tools from the mineral resources of the canyon, and planted the mesa tops with maize & squash. It is remote, harsh, and spectacularly beautiful. On our free day we will explore the canyons, and on the way home after the trip there are other prehistoric sites and museums to visit. Our work project consists of two days of basic trail maintenance and two days of identifying, cutting and treating small patches of invasive tamarisk plants, an exotic species that out-competes native trees for water. Woodenshoe Canyon marks the western edge of the Wilderness Area, and is the largest tributary and access point for backpackers to Dark Canyon. We'll backpack approximately five miles down through Woodenshoe Canyon and establish a basecamp near a sparkling spring. This is a remote opportunity in a spectacular Colorado Plateau redrock canyon. Some group food may be carried in our backpacks on the way in. Tools, kitchen gear, and the majority of food will be horse-packed in by Forest Service. Check out more photos from last year's Dark Canyon project in our gallery.
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